This paper explores the area of business participation in social policy reform since the end of the 19th century. Informed by Canadian National Policy development, I argue that business leaders' attitudes towards social welfare are diverse, non-unified and change over time and in different contexts. That is, business attitudes towards social policy are not especially idiosyncratic. They often mirror those in the broader community and within government. One of my main conclusions is that business leaders, generally, do not know what they think about social reform or which social policy instruments or social development strategies to pursue in order to secure the community compliance necessary for continued expansion associated with global-market capitalism. This uncertainty is especially prevalent during transitional periods when the contradictions of new economic models or national policies creates a new array of social challenges for corporate elites. However, periods of corporate uncertainty also create important openings for a variety of grassroots and community-based organizations to move alternative development strategies onto public policy agendas and further upwards, into the state.